This invention relates to the installation of electrical conduit of the flexible type, and particularly to the repair of damage thereto as by means of inserting couplings in order to rejoin ruptured sections thereof. Flexible electrical tubing, referred to herein as "flex conduit" is comprised of an interlocked helex of metal strip, soft steel or aluminum that is easily cut and workable. The interlock is by means of a formed cross section of the strip wherein the two margins thereof are faced inwardly and outwardly for interengagement respectively; specifically an inwardly faced channel engageable over an outwardly turned flange loosely related for flexibility. The purpose of such tubing or conduit is of course the protection of the insulated wiring drawn therethrough between junction boxes where electrical connections are made, the metallic conduit and junction boxes providing ground continuity. Accordingly, the installation of flex conduit involves various tubular fittings by which the sections thereof are joined together and into junction boxes and the like, making up a permanent installation secured into the framework of buildings and other such structures. The electrical wiring is then pulled through the various runs of flex conduit to service the various fixtures and outlets, involving switches etc.
Construction difficulties arise in the acceptance of the aforesaid electrical installations, since damage may occur thereto prior to final inspection after which the installation will be enclosed permanently within the building structure. For example, there are other trades performed in the construction of a building and during which the activities of workmen often damage sections of the flex conduit; by over bending it or crushing it and as the result of various unpredictable accidents. Nevertheless, the result is most often a simple separation of a convolution or two of the flex conduit, as it is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings herein. Needless to say, the electrician or tradesman who previously completed the installation is now obligated to make a repair which heretofore has been time consuming and costly; since the wiring had to be pulled out in order to cut the flex conduit and then insert a tubular coupling followed by rewiring. Therefore, it is a general object of this invention to provide a repair coupling for flexible electrical conduit, which enables repair of damaged sections thereof without removal of the previously installed wiring. Accordingly, a great deal of time and expense is saved, avoiding any destruction and/or reconstruction of work accomplished, including other trades which might be affected.
Prior art couplings are typically of tubular form, and those for joining the abutted ends of flex conduit are complete right cylinders fitted into the open ended abutted conduits and with thread members to engage the helical convolutions of the conduit. In practice, these prior art couplings are molded or die-cast of metal, over a core about which two mold halfs operate to form a solid tube coupling body. It is this solid tube body of the prior art which requires removal of wiring before insertion thereof can be made, and in accordance with this invention it is an object to avoid that removal procedure by providing lateral access through the wall of the coupling. Accordingly, the repair coupling of the present invention is separated longitudinally for reception of the wires laterally therethrough and adapted to be closed for passage of the wires longitudinally therethrough, all without removal of the previously installed wires.
It will be seen that the repair coupling of the present invention has an initial formation for the reception of wiring, and a reformed condition for the permanent passage of wiring therethrough. It is therefore an object to provide a workable coupling body which is adapted to be reformed from its manufactured configuration, to form a protective tube as is required. Accordingly, this repair coupling is made of a malleable metal which can be pressed in order to close the lateral opening initially provided therein.
Further, it is an object to provide a longitudinally disposed separation which is conducive to the existent methods of manufacture involving a core about which two mold halfs operate, the coupling body being molded to an enlarged configuration from which it is constricted with a pliers, or special tool, to the closed configuration (compare FIGS. 5 and 5a).
Still further, it is an object to provide control over the diameter to which the coupling body can be constricted, the opposed edges of the longitudinal separation being formed so as to mate in register and thereby prevent radial displacement while preserving a positive stop to constriction (compare FIGS. 6 and 6a). Alternatively, only a portion of the coupling body is reformed to overlap and namely the separating flange as shown in FIGS. 7 and 7a wherein the entire coupling body is reformed to close, or as is shown in FIGS. 8 and 8a wherein the separating flange only is reformed with the opposite end portions of the coupling body remaining slotted.